Czech FA Gives Power Of Free Agency To Players If Clubs Fail To Pay Wages

The Czech FA (FACR) "unveiled plans to implement a number of measures to enhance the legal protection of footballers whose clubs encounter financial difficulties and leave players unpaid but tied to their clubs," according to Jaroslaw Adamowski of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. After much debate, the association "decided that Czech-based footballers will remain self-employed, as is the case in a number of other Eastern European countries, such as Croatia and Ukraine." Under the new regulations, which are expected to come into force this April, footballers employed by Czech sides "will be able to terminate their contracts if their clubs fail to pay 100% of their salary over a period of three months." In addition to this, all footballers "will sign the same standardised contract form which will be provided to Czech sides" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 2/17).